The Maha Kumbha Mela festival of 2001, the first of the new millennium, took
place in Allahabad. Allahabad, for the most part, has little in which the
general tourist would be interested, when compared to other cities and temple
towns. However, a few things to see would include the Anand Bhawan, a two-storey
mansion with a collection of personal items of the Nehru family. There is also
the Allahabad Museum, as well as the High Court of the United Provinces, known
for being a fine example of colonial architecture. For the pilgrim with a
spiritual interest there are a few more things to see, such as the huge fort,
which foreigners aren't allowed to enter, that has an Ashoka Pillar inside. But
through a side door you can see the undying banyan tree that is over 1000 years
old and still looks in good condition. You can also visit the Hanuman Temple
with a reclining Hanuman, open to non-Hindus, located on the sangam
side of the fort. The nearby Adi Shankara Temple has nice carvings and a Balaji
Deity. The Sri Rupa Gaudiya Math temple on Mallaca Street, in the Madhavapur
area by the Ganges River on the way to the sangam from downtown, is
where Srila Prabhupada took initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura in 1932. Furthermore, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had visited Allahabad
twice; once on His way to Vrindavana from Jagannatha Puri, and again on His
return trip when He bathed ten days in a row during the early Magh Mela
festival. Therein He visited the Bindu Madhava Temple and also instructed Srila
Rupa Gosvami at the Dashashvamedha Ghat near the Ganges. This is fully described
in Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, Chapters 17-19.

The name Allahabad, which was given to the city by Emperor Akbar in 1584,
means the city of Allah. But prior to this the city was called Prayaga or
Prayaga Raja, which means the place where the sacred rivers meet and where great
sacrifices are performed. This is the most significant site in Allahabad since
this is the confluence (sangam) of the sacred Ganges, Yamuna, and the
mystical Sarasvati rivers. Lord Ramachandra, Sita and Lakshmana also spent time
at Prayaga near the sangam while staying at Bharadvaja's ashrama
shortly after Lord Rama began His exile from Ayodhya. From there He went on to
Chitrakoot where He spent eleven of His 14 year exile. The five Pandavas also
spent time at Prayaga during their exile, as described in the Mahabharata.
Lord Balarama also visited Prayaga after going to Naimisharanya when touring the
holy places 5,000 years ago during the battle of Kuruksetra. And 500 years ago
Lord Nityananda bathed at Prayaga when He traveled from Jagannatha Puri to
Vrindavana.

The sangam is the location where the Ganges comes from the north and
meets the Yamuna, which flows from the west, although they both have their
origins in the Himalayas. The Ganges is somewhat yellowish or white while the
Yamuna is blueish and darker. From the beach near the confluence you can see the
difference in color as they merge together. Where the two rivers meet is the
actual sangam, where most people try to take their holy bath.

Hundreds of people come to the sangam every day to bathe in the
spiritually purifying water. But hundreds of thousands of people come to the sangam
area when there is the annual festival known as the Magh (January-February) Mela.
Every 12 years the Magh Mela becomes the Kumba Mela which lasts for 41 days.Then
millions of pilgrims join together to bathe at the sangam and to
perform other types of spiritual rituals and activities. The Kumba Mela
alternates every three years between Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain, and Haridwar.
During the last Kumba Mela festival at Allahabad in 1989 nearly 30 million
people attended throughout the 41 days. It is by far the largest gathering in
the world, what to speak of religious festival. For that reason it has been
called "the largest number of human beings to ever assemble with a common
purpose in the entire history of mankind" by the Guinness Book of World
Records. That was describing the event in 1989 when 15 million people attended
on the Amavasya day. This year, in 2001, nearly 30 million people assembled at
one time over the January 24 Amavasya day, making the area of Allahabad the most
populated region in the world. Over the course of the 41 days, an estimated 70
million people visited the site.

The Kumbha Mela has the magnetism to draw into its spiritual cauldron many
monastics and saints who otherwise prefer to stay incognito. When such a variety
of saints and sadhus come together, an assortment of views are
exchanged and new wisdom is imbued for the general public, at least for those
who come to learn. The akharas (the different spiritual sects or
groups) stay in different camps at the Kumbh Mela wherein their religious
discourses and spiritual talks and debates are one of the main attractions for
visitors to the Mela.

The Mela is like a huge convention of spiritual groups and ashramas allowing
everyone to check them out. The large tents become the temporary dwellings for
various spiritual sects, or akharas. In some ways, it may seem like
they are competing with each other for the attention of the public. They often
use very loud public address systems with speakers pointed to the passers by on
the road, or large and colorful gateways and facades attracting people into
their camps. As soon as you get out of the range of one loudspeaker, you hear
the next one. You can walk by the entrance and hear over the loudspeaker the
lecture that's being given inside. This may attract people who then go in and
sit and listen to the lecture and possibly ask questions. Anyway, more about
checking out the camps later.

When arriving at Allahabad for the Kumbha Mela, we come through a crowded bus
or train station. Many pilgrims are waiting to leave, or sleeping on the floor
or benches. Others have just arrived wondering how to get transportation to the
Mela grounds. Some people simply start walking, making their way through the
city. Fortunately for us, we arrived in the night, and taxis were easy to find
and ready for business, well, at least a few. So we get a ride to our camp where
a tent is waiting for us which we have reserved in advance.

As we approach the Mela, you can see how spread out it is and how it is a
city of tents. During the Magh and Kumba Melas, the 3600 acres called the Kumba
Mela grounds that surround the sangam becomes its own city with roads,
street lights, markets, medical facilities, and areas for food distribution,
etc. Hundreds of large tents are erected as far as you can see to accommodate
the millions of people. And it is not uncommon to see whole families, including
babies, children, parents, and grandparents, come to the festival from any part
of India. They come by bus, car, train, plane, or even by foot.

Not only do ordinary pilgrims attend, but many of India's most elevated
mystics, sages, and yogis also attend. Some of these sages are hundreds of years
old, live in the pure atmosphere of the Himalayas, and are never seen except at
such festivals. In fact, one of the most important aspects of the festival is to
allow ordinary pilgrims the opportunity to associate with saintly persons for
instruction in attaining spiritual realization.

I've been there when there is nothing but the wind and sand. To see how this
huge community springs up is like seeing a spiritual oasis that stays for some
time and, when it is over, again disappears. Then all the spiritual groups go
back to their permanent dwellings, such as their Himalayan forest ashramas or
South Indian temples, while the pilgrims return to their homes.

Wherever you go during the festival there is something spiritual to watch,
listen to, or engage in. With all the uplifting activities, such as lectures,
plays, bhajans, worship, and rituals that go on in the camps or at the sangam,
along with the presence of highly learned and experienced sages and yogis, the
Mela festivals are a highly energized and spiritual event for one to attend.
Furthermore, if you are helping with one of the camps, then you will have plenty
to keep yourself busy. There is always so much to do in serving the innumerable
pilgrims who come through. But regardless of whether you are a serious pilgrim,
businessman, teacher, student, housewife, or curious Western tourist, the Kumbha
Mela is an event you'll never forget.

While I stayed at the Kumbha Mela, since I'm a disciple of Srila A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I stayed at the Iskcon camp. The camp had three
acres of land in Sector Six on Shankaracharya Marg. They provided 50 Swiss
Cottage tents, each with three rooms and six beds, along with 40 European Plan
tents, with a big single room. I had an EP toward the back. In mine they placed
a big divider to create two rooms, allowing for men and women to share it. With
my friends who stayed with me, I had two other men and four women sharing my
tent. It was actually quite fun to have others sharing the experience of the
austerity and adventure of being at the Kumbha Mela.

The Iskcon camp also supplied eight dormitory tents, one of which was
provided for the many young people wondering around, looking for accommodation.
At night, pilgrims even packed the pandal tent for a place to sleep, and around
the main bathing days, such as Amavasya, devotees and travelers slept wherever
they could.

The BBC and the press said the Iskcon camp was one of the most lively camps
at the Mela. It had beautiful diorama exhibits of Krishna's pastimes in front,
with book tables, question and answer booths, a video tent, a snack shop, and a
temple and a large pandal tent where there would often be either
lectures or bhajans (devotional music) or plays. This tent was packed
most of the time. Also, in front was the parikrama cart that had
beautiful Deities of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, as well as Srila Prabhupada.
There would be regular aratis to the Deities, which many pilgrims would
attend. In the afternoon, the devotees would take the cart through the streets
of the Mela grounds for Harer Nama congregational chanting, which was greatly
appreciated by the pilgrims as they followed along. As reported by Dina Bandhu
Prabhu, on Amavasya day, even Srila Prabhupada's youngest son, Vrindavan Chandra
De, and granddaughter joined the Hare Nama chanting through the streets. On the
sixth of January, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja arrived with 100 Manipuri mridanga
drummers, which greatly added to the attraction of the congregational chanting
and the kirtans in the pandal tent while they were here.

One thing that the Iskcon camp was famous for was the food, the prasada (food
first offered to the Lord) that was served to the devotees staying there, but
more for the "Food for Life" program that was provided for the
numerous pilgrims, sadhus, and tourists. The prasada pandal
tent provided as many as three to four thousand plates everyday to whomever
showed up, and as many as 10,000 plates on the main bathing days when the Mela
was the most crowded. Though 9 AM and 3 PM were the assigned times for serving prasada
in the devotee hall, and 11 AM and 5 PM for the "Food for Life" hall,
the kitchen was providing prasada for guests at all hours. The cooking
was arranged by Bhima and Raghunatha Prabhus. So after seeing how much goes on
in these camps, it is obvious that you can keep very busy when you are engaged
in helping.

Food can be an important issue while at the Mela, amidst millions of people,
all of whom need to eat. If you don't have a particular place or camp where you
are getting food, eating facilities at the Mela are not very good. The only
other things available to eat, provided by little shops scattered here and
there, are simple snacks, like biscuits, roasted nuts, etc. Not a big variety.
So the quality of snacks and street food is extremely low around the Mela site.
There are no restaurants. So the way the Iskcon camp had regular times for food
to be served for anyone was an important service. Some other camps also provided
times for serving free food to the sadhus or pilgrims, but not many.
There were some small shops selling vegetables that I found at regular intervals
along the streets, but I found no place that sold fruits.

During the Kumbha Mela, one of the highlights is to bathe in the sacred
rivers, especially at the sangam. It is said that during the month of
Magh all of the holy tirthas (sacred pilgrimage places) come to take
bath at the sangam, along with the demigods, such as Lord Vishnu,
Brahma, Shiva, the Rudras, Adityas, Maruts, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Siddhas, and
others, along with their consorts, like Lakshmi, Parvati, and the celestial
damsels. It is believed that the potency of the holy water at the sangam
increases by 1000 times if you bathe during the Kumbha Mela, especially on one
of the main bathing days. There are six of such particular days that are the
most important for bathing. These are known as the Shahi Snans or Royal
Bathing Days. The main bathing day when the most people come is on January 24,
the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark or new moon), when nearly 25 to 30 million
people were present. As this day approached, many thousands of pilgrims were
continually streaming into the Mela, getting ready for the special day. You
could see many of them with all of their belongings in a bag balanced on their
heads, walking for miles, and having come from all over India and the world.
It's a sea of people.

The other major bathing days, or Shahi Snans, include Vasant Panchami (fifth
day of the new moon), January 29. The third most important day is Maha or
Makhara Sankranti on January 14th, 2001 (when the sun enters the sign of
Capricorn). It was reported that on this day around five million people bathed.
The festival began on January 9th on Pausa Purnima (the full moon). The two
other main days are Magh Purnima (full moon) on February 8th and Maha Shivaratri
(festival day of Lord Siva) on February 21. The best times to bathe are set by
the position of the moon, except on Maha Sankranti (January 14) which is set by
the sun.

On certain days, such as Makhara Sankranti and Mauni Amavasya, as the most
auspicious time to bathe in the sangam comes near, there is what is
called the parade of the saints, or the Shahi (royal) March. In the parade the
many saints and their disciples follow each other in an order of importance. As
the sadhus and babas go down the road through the middle of
the crowd, the saints parade past the people and enter the water once the
astrologically favorable moment has arrived. Generally, the first group of
mystics given the opportunity is called the nagababas, which
was the case for Makhara Sankranti. Certain groups of these men wear no clothes
and often live in the mountains. When they arrived at the sangam, they
charged into it chanting "Har Har Gange," or "Jai Maa Ganga"
and "Har Har Mahadeva" while swinging swords, tridents, and axes. When
they are done bathing, the other sects each have their time to come down to the
river. In this case, it was limited to about 40 minutes each. This has to be
fixed because some akharas, like the Juna Akhara (naked babas)
are the enemies of others, such as the Niranjani Akhara. If there is a clash, it
can be bloody. The order in which the various akharas appear in the
parade and take bath is a matter of great pride, as well as envy and controversy
among some of them. Many serious fights have been started over this issue in the
past. During the last Kumbha Mela at Haridwar, there was a terrible fight
between the "saints" resulting in numerous injuries.

Another example of the problems that can take place in this regard happened
the night before the day of Makhara Sankranti, January 14. There had been an
issue between the Juna Akhara (the Naga babas) and the Agni and Aavahan
Akharas. What had happened was that the Aavahan and Agni Akharas had joined and
appointed their own heads or leaders who then receive maximum respect.
Unfortunately, the Nagas objected to the appointments and the honor of raising
large flags during the procession and at the sangam. All this may sound
a little childish among those who are supposed to be the most spiritual, but
this is serious business to the Nagas who can become extremely angry and
violent. One of the differences is that the Nagas are mostly Shaivites,
worshipers of Shiva, while the Agnis and Aavahans are Vaishnavas, worshipers of
Vishnu, Krishna. This makes them rivals in many ways. Most of the other akharas
prefer to stay out of such controversy. Nonetheless, the problem was settled and
the akharas were able to take bath at the sangam peacefully at
5:15 AM, under heavy police escort.

Among the Nagas, there are 13 main akharas or branches, who each
march in their own group and bathe at different times. The first group, which
bathed at 5 AM, was the Nirvani, who traditionally begin the procession. Then
came the Nivani and Juna Akharas. These three make up the Sannyasi sect. The
next group to follow is the Vairagi sect, which is formed by such groups as the
Digambar and Nirmhi Akharas. Then there was the Udasin sect, which is formed of
the Bada Panchayati, Naya Panchayati and the Nirmal Akharas. After the Nagas
bathe the other main religious groups bathe, each headed by the main
Shankaracarya. Then in a particular set order, the many other groups parade down
the street and then bathe in the sangam. After the first groups of
sects reach the sangam, other groups also go, which include first the
Vairagis, the Shaivites, Shankarites, Ramanujas, Madhvas, Nimbarkas, and the
Gaudiya Vaishnavas. This goes on for quite some time ending around 4 PM.

To reach the sangam and be ready for the parade of saints, we got up
before 3 AM in order to cross the pontoon bridges before they were closed for
the exclusive use of the saints. As we got closer to the bridges we can see that
there are many others who had the same idea, in fact hundreds and thousands of
people are all working their way to and across the bridges. As we move, it gets
really tight, person against person. Everyone has to move together. My camera
bag was getting squashed. Then it opens up a bit more on the bridge after
getting through the bottle neck. Once on the other side, it is simply a matter
of working your way to the sangam amongst hundreds of thousands of
people.

As you walk in the dark, you see many thousands of people camped out, huddled
in blankets, or keeping warm near fires under the numerous street lights or even
getting ready to take their holy bath. There is simply no other experience to
compare with this. Then, on the morning of Amavasya, a cold wind kicked up,
making it more austere for everyone. As we waited for the parade to begin, I
felt sorry for the numerous pilgrims who were shivering in the early morning
wind, as they prepared to bathe in the rivers. They would be changing clothes
and shivering like anything. Then later they would come back to their clothes,
wet, and shaking even more. I was dressed in a warm sweat shirt, but after a
couple of hours of being in the wind, I was shivering as much as they were. This
was still near 5 AM, and the sun doesn't come up until after 7 AM.

The parade of saints starts from the main camps to the east of the Ganges and
then crosses over one of the pontoon bridges, which becomes closed to the
public. Then they travel the parade route to the sangam. Each group
comes through the crowds and down to the rivers, giving an audience to everyone
who watches. Then after bathing, there is an exit route and a second pontoon
bridge for the saints to go back to the camps. This allows them to give their
blessings as they pass the many thousands of people who clog the streets.

It was at five in the morning when I could see the parade of saints begin
under the lights near the sangam. Dozens of orange-clad sadhus
walk while the mahant (leader of the akhara) rides on a throne
of some sort that is built on the cart. Some are quite elaborate while others
are more simple. These carts are now pulled mostly by common farm tractors,
sometimes trucks. This is because elephants, which they used before, are now no
longer allowed at the Mela, forcing them to give up that tradition. So the mahants
and gurus ride on big seats mounted on trailers pulled by tractors.

At first I watched from behind the crowds of people near the barricades that
separated the pilgrims from the saints, but as it got light I worked my way
closer. However, as the sun came up and it got light enough to start taking
photos, I managed to get right up front by the barricades. I was also able to
dodge the security often enough to take some good pictures as the saints and mahants
went by on their thrones, before we would get kicked out and forced to go to
another place. (I didn't have a press pass, but I noticed that the press were
kept in certain areas, while I could move around a lot more.)

After many of the akharas had gone by, it was between 6:30 and 7:00
AM when the Juna Akhara, the naked Naga babas came along. The security was
especially tight when the Naga babas went by, making sure no one took any
photos. They are known for the quick and fierce tempers, which was one reason
why no one was supposed to take any photos. I guess we weren't supposed to
provoke them. This turned out to be a bit of a joke because when I went to see
the babas at their camp, some of them asked me to take photos. It was no big
deal. Anyway. . .

So as the Naga babas went by, first you see a few on horses, followed by a
few carrying large banners, and then a large group of them covered in ash. Some
were just calmly walking or running, as if the cold temperature made no
difference, while others I could distinctly see shivering like the rest of us.
Shouts of "Har Har Mahadev" rang out in praise of Lord Shiva. The men
were then followed by the Naga dakinis, the naked women ascetics.
However, they all had a cloth wrapped around them, so they weren't really naked,
which was a good thing.

One thing I found interesting was watching how the women in the crowd seemed
to get excited and most interested when the Naga babas went by. I could see them
try extra hard to help each other get close to the barricade to get a better
view. This also shows how the Naga babas seem to have a particularly special
place in the view of the Indian pilgrims, who hold them in reverence by the
mystery and intrigue that seems to surround them. Just their level of
renunciation, being able to live with next to nothing, even without clothes,
commands a certain level of respect from numerous Indian pilgrims. And later,
while sitting with the Naga babas at their camp, I could see many people come by
who were in awe of them, and would make offerings of obeisances and money. Yet,
when one of the leaders wanted something, I saw him pull out a bag that was
packed full of rupee notes. With what people give them, they are not in want.
They have plenty of money for food or fruits, which they pass around to everyone
sitting with them. This was impressive, that whatever they had they shared with
everyone in their camp, asking for nothing in return, even if it was the ganja
they smoked. Actually, many groups of babas were like that, but there were
others that also did something for you and then would want something back, like
money. There was a lot of that in Varanasi and other places, as well. First they
do something for you, or allow you to take a photo, then they want baksheesh
or some favor.

On the Mauni Amavasya day, the main area for bathing was roped off
exclusively for the saints, and everyone else had to go 100 meters to the side
to bathe. So bathing was going on all the time. The bathing for the pilgrims
never stopped. However, the section that was roped off was not kept for the
saints for a while, and everyone else was bathing there, too. At that time, I
watched the clothes of my friends while they had the privilege of taking a quick
swim there. I was going to do the same, but then the security came through and
chased everyone away as the saints were coming back for more dips in the sangam.
So, after watching some of the saints returning to the sangam for
another bath, I felt it was time to head back to camp. My friends stayed for a
while longer, but when they were also returning to the camp, a group of babas
saw them and invited them to walk with their akhara through the parade
and down to the sangam, which they did. Apparently, it is a sign of
status for the akhara to have Westerners in their group. So my friends
accompanied them to the sangam and had the good fortune to take bath
there with the saints and babas. I had also seen many other akharas
in the parade who had displayed Westerners in their groups.

Even as the saints bathe in the special area, there is plenty of room for
other pilgrims to continue bathing off to the sides, but it is mighty crowded
and can be difficult to find space. Nonetheless, many people do this. After all
the prominent saints bathe in the sangam, everyone else rushes in to do
the same. Then the sangam becomes a river of bodies, a roar of voices,
all clamoring to get to the water while reciting or even shouting invocations to
the Deities and to the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers. Each person blends in with
everyone else regardless of race, caste, or sect, or whether one is wealthy or
poor, Brahmin or low-caste, mighty or downtrodden, all with the intent of
spiritual purification. But as you can imagine, when so many people gather in a
relatively small area like this, safety can be a major concern. There have been
instances in the past when hundreds of people have died when there is a rush to
the river. Of course, newer arrangements have been made to help prevent this.
But it is considered that to leave one's body during the Kumbha Mela or while in
the sangam is especially auspicious and denotes liberation from
material existence.

Many people simply go to the shore area near the sangam and find a
place amongst the crowd to keep their clothes, under the watch of a friend, and
then go out to where the Ganges and Yamuna meet. This is quite easy because the
water is only about half a meter (1 1/2 ft) deep here. You have to walk out
quite a ways just to be able to find an area that offers some deeper water. In
fact, you can practically walk across the whole river, or even bathe on the
other side where the waters of the merged Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati are
located. On any other day, or after the saints have finished, all areas of the
beach at the sangam are open for the pilgrims.

Where the Ganges and Yamuna meet can be seen in the difference of the color
of the rivers, as previously explained. The Ganges is shallower, muddier, and
yellowish in color, while the Yamuna is deeper, darker and bluer. Many pilgrims
also take boats out to where the rivers actually mix. There are sometimes small
wooden platforms for people to use to get out of the boats and dip into the
water. Then they change into dry clothes on the boats. Many people also bring
big jugs to fill so they can take the holy sangam water back with them
to their homes.

If you want to take a boat out to the main area of the sangam, find
one that is close to it to get the cheaper prices. In the annual Magh Mela
season, the boatmen might want to charge a Westerner as much as 200 rupees or
more (I once had one try to charge me Rs.500) to take you out to the sangam.
But if you get closer on the shore, you can find boatmen looking for customers
who will charge only 10 or 20 rupees. And if you don't mind taking a boat filled
with other pilgrims, it may only cost you three to five rupees. Of course,
you'll have to wait until everyone else is ready to come back to shore. However,
during the Kumbha Mela you may have to go to the Sarasvati Ghat on the west side
of the fort to get a boat. Many of the closer boats were reserved and the police
were keeping a tight control of where on the bank the boats could park and where
they could go on the river. When things slow down a bit and there is not so many
people around, you can easily get boats closer to the sangam and pay
lower prices.

The reason why it can be nice to hire your own boat is that you can go
directly to the sangam where the rivers meet, and take your time while
bathing in the rivers, with all of your things in the boat, not on the shore,
which requires someone watching your stuff to be sure it doesn't get stolen.
Plus, boat rides are always pleasant, not to mention that it helps take you away
from the crowds.

Besides taking a holy bath in the sacred rivers, it is always interesting to
go around and check out other camps. You can see other sadhus, saints, mahants
or spiritual teachers and gurus. There will be numerous lectures going on,
stories being told, along with bhajans and devotional songs being sung
in which the pilgrims can participate. Most of the lectures and talks will be in
Hindi, so if all you know is English, you may feel a little left out. Other
camps may have plays on stage, using adaptations from the Ramayana, or Mahabharata
and Puranas. Some used huge screen televisions to broadcast their
messages or play videos of the Ramayana, drawing many pilgrims to stop
and watch for a while. And as I've previously described, one of the most popular
and enlivening camps that pilgrims visited was the Iskcon or Hare Krishna camp.
There was plenty being offered for the visitors, as well as books and items they
could take with them for future use in their spiritual development.

One of the benefits of the Mela is to hear from advanced souls about
spiritual knowledge. However, just make sure that's what they are. The Mela can
be like a spiritual smorgasbord. So you have to be aware that there are also
plenty of charlatans and fakes there as well who try to share the limelight.

Another of the more visited areas was that of the babas. It was a
section that had small lanes through numerous tents where the various baba sects
could be found. As I entered, I was also interested in taking photos. However,
you had to be careful. Some of the babas wanted as much as 100 rupees for one
photo taken of them. And sometimes they would tell you only after you have taken
the shot. Way too expensive, and a sure sign of a phony yogi. Some camps
wouldn't allow any photos, while others didn't care.

One of the most popular of these camps was the Panch Agni Juna Akhara, which
is an order of monastic ascetics specifically known as the Naga Babas. You can
see them often merely sitting naked around their sacred fire. Not all of the
babas go around naked. Actually, most of them do wear simple clothes. But this
group had renounced clothing. Many people would come to see them, offer
obeisances and money, and receive sacred ash on their forehead for blessings.
Anyone could also come and sit with them, and they are very friendly during this
time of the Mela. The Naga babas didn't do much, no bhajans, mostly
just sitting around the fire eating fruits, engaging in silent meditation, and
smoking ganja. There was one baba in the camp, Baba Amar Bharti Urdh
Babu, who had been holding his hand up in the air for years (supposedly for
nearly 27 years). His arm was a bit withered from having his hand in the air for
so long and his nails were long and twisted. Other than him, I didn't see anyone
doing any severe austerities.

I learned later that there are ascetics from various schools who perform
severe austerities for different reasons, but some of them decide to do such
difficult tapasya because of the bad activities that they may have done
earlier in life. They feel that this will help purify them from their misdeeds.
There was also a camp where a Japanese yogi, Yogi Maya Kaila Giri Ma, buried
herself ten feet underground for three days to promote world peace and harmony.
She is an important member of the Pilot Baba Yogi Mata Camp, the leader of which
had been a
former pilot in the air force, and is a popular guru that has ashrams in India,
Switzerland and Japan. In any case, as you can begin to see, there is a wide
range of spiritual outlooks and denominations at the Mela.

One thing we need to be aware of while walking through the streets or in the
camps is the danger of thieves and pickpockets. There were a number of people
who had their pockets picked, even in the Iskcon camp, of large sums of money,
which they should not have been carrying in such a way. Others were robbed of
all their money and passport while bathing at the sangam. That will
sure adversely affect one's experience at the Mela, but you have to be very
careful. I usually wear types of clothes in such a way that make such stealing
practically impossible.

As night descends, thousands, if not millions, of people will be wandering
the streets checking out the various camps. Evening is one of the busiest times
of the days at the camps because most people have performed their bathing and
rituals in the day, and now it is time to visit the camps and listen to
spiritual lectures and teachers. As it gets late, many of the traveling pilgrims
will have shelter at the camps, often in a tent. However, you can see thousands
of them camping wherever they can find a space. Millions of people come into the
Kumbha Mela just for the day. They may simply bring a blanket with them and
sleep out in the open. You will also see, and smell, numerous cooking fires
along the roads where the people will be making an evening meal of possibly
cooked vegetables, or kneading dough for making chapatis, or simply staying near
the fire to keep warm. On many nights the camps and streets were quite active
until even 1 AM, and a new day starts with the loudspeakers that get cranked up
as early as four in the morning. When it gets light, many pilgrims will begin
making there way to around the Kumbha Meal again, or will go on to another holy
place somewhere else. While people are traveling to the Kumbha Mela, they may
also visit many other holy places along the way to or from the Mela. That was
the case when I had gone on to Ayodhya and Chitrakoot, both of which are not too
far from Allahabad.

No matter what aspect of the Kumbha Mela festival a person sees or
participates in, it is an event that has no comparison. There is nothing else in
the world anything like it. You have to see it to believe it or understand it.
Some people may not like it, others may love it. That is typical of India no
matter where you go. Yet the Kumbha Mela is an incredibly varied experience that
changes with each day that goes by. The most important thing is that it is meant
to increase one's faith and connection with the Divine, the Infinite. For some,
that may take the shape of Lord Shiva, or maybe the great Brahman, or Lord
Vishnu and Krishna. In any case, there is something for everyone at the Mela.
Plus, it offers the advantage of being able to look more closely at other
doctrines and paths, some of which may open one to new ways of thinking, or for
others, like me, reassure one of the path he or she is already taking.